Religious Studies
2023-2024 Possible Course Offerings (elective offerings may vary depending on interest; 4 credits to graduate + 0.5 credit Ignatian Encounter)
SCRIPTURE REQUIRED-FULL YEAR
This course is devoted to the study of the Bible and its impact on faith. Using the historical-critical method, primary
texts of both Jewish and Christian Scriptures are examined. In the light of Biblical revelation, students explore topics like divine and human nature, justice and compassion, the purpose of suffering, sin, morality, the identity of Jesus and the role of Christian community.
ENCOUNTERING JESUS IN THE SACRAMENTS REQUIRED-ONE SEMESTER
This sophomore course is designed to help students understand that they can encounter Jesus Christ today in a full and real way in and through the sacraments, and especially through the Eucharist. Students will not only examine each of the sacraments in detail so as to learn how they may encounter Christ throughout life but will explore many of the virtues of the sacramental life that support the sacraments themselves such as community life in the Spirit, repentance and forgiveness, abstinence, prayer, and discernment.
HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH REQUIRED-ONE SEMESTER
This sophomore course supplies students with a general knowledge of the Church’s history from apostolic
times to the present. Students will explore the major eras of Church history by encountering the Church’s “heroes” (martyrs, saints, theologians, activists, etc. in their context) who, sustained by Jesus and the Holy Spirit, have lived and preached the Gospel as covenant with God in their lives and in response to their times. Students will come to know that the Church is the People of God…living as the Body of Christ today.
LIVING THE PASCHAL MYSTERY REQUIRED-ONE SEMESTER
The purpose of this junior course is to invite students to view the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus as God’s promise and call to humanity to create a more loving and just world. With the Gospels and Catholic Social Teaching documents as guide, students will learn how Christ’s concern for those who suffer, especially the poor and marginalized, must not only be humanity’s concern but is the way to share in the redemption of Jesus Christ as a disciple, working in creation to receive the gift of salvation.
CHRISTIAN ETHICS AND MORALITY REQUIRED-ONE SEMESTER
The purpose of this junior course is to help students see God’s work in creation, especially the life of Jesus Christ, as the standard for moral and ethical action in human life. The course will explore modern ethical issues, outline moral concepts, and articulate how the Church comes to hold particular ethical/moral precepts as truth so that each student is able to apply these teachings to their current and future decision-making.
IGNATIAN ENCOUNTER REQUIRED-ONE SEMESTER
The Ignatian Encounter is completed by juniors either during the summer leading into their junior year or during the school year. The 40 hour service learning experience gives students the opportunity to explore and crystallize both the challenges and rewards of living a life for and with others. In consultation with the Office of Faith and Justice, students select a placement where they will spend their 40 hours. The grade for this project is based on student’s successful and diligent completion of his hours as well as the thoughtful completion of various reflection activities and attendance at cohort reflection groups.
The Ignatian Encounter will be placed on a student's spring junior year schedule 8th period, is a letter-graded course, and the Office of Faith and Justice will work with students to select the best window of time and agency that connects the student to an agency that meets his interests, his schedule, and the geographic area that works for him. Although the grade for Ignatian Encounter will show on a student's Spring transcript it is expected the he complete the course in either the summer, fall or spring semester. This process will be independently tracked by the Office of Faith and Justice.
HONORS IGNATIAN ENCOUNTER FULL YEAR: BY APPLICATION ONLY--FULFILLS THE JUNIOR-LEVEL REQUIREMENT OF LIVING THE PASCHAL MYSTERY, CHRISTIAN ATHICS AND MORALITY, AND IGNATIAN ENCOUNTER
Honors Ignatian Encounter is a year-long, junior-level Theology course that will explore the person of Jesus and different ethical paradigms in conjunction with direct service to the systemically oppressed in our community. The course integrates into one experience and satisfies the requirements of the Paschal Mystery, Ethics and Ignatian Encounter courses, and students will receive honors credit. During the course, students will engage in designing and writing academic research project connecting the content of the course with their lived experience in the Ignatian Encounter community.
SENIOR RELIGION COURSES
(All seniors in the class of 2024 are required to take two Religious Studies electives. Students who apply for and are accepted into The Romero Program will have those requirements met within that course. We will try to accommodate all elective requests, though for a variety of reasons students may be placed into another elective if necessary.)
INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY ELECTIVE-ONE SEMESTER
This course provides a general consideration of human nature and the nature of the universe, knowledge, perception, freedom and determinism, and the existence of God. Students will identify and compare the various types of logical arguments, major philosophical views of reality, rationalist and empiricist theories of knowledge and at least one value theory. In addition to critically analyzing the major arguments for the existence of God, students will describe the problem of evil and examine religious explanations for the existence of evil.
THEODICY AND THE HOLOCAUST ELECTIVE-ONE SEMESTER (can count as EITHER the senior Religious Studies elective OR the senior Social Studies elective, but not both)
In Pope John Paul II’s 1998 letter regarding the Vatican’s publication of We Remember: A Reflection on the Shoah, he wrote, “May the Lord of history guide the efforts of Catholics and Jews and all men and women of good will as they work together for a world of true respect for the life and dignity of every human being, for all have been created in the image and likeness of God.” In this spirit, “Theodicy and the Holocaust” seeks to examine the justice of God and the injustice of the Holocaust. Students will explore the history of Jewish-Christian relations and the birth of anti-Semitism, the role of anti-Semitism during the rise of the Third Reich, the evolution from persecution to the Final Solution, the religious and historical implications of the Holocaust, and theodicy in the modern world. This class will be uniquely team taught by a member of the Religious Studies Department and a member of the Social Studies Department.
THE IGNATIAN WORKOUT ELECTIVE-ONE SEMESTER
St. Ignatius of Loyola believed that we could know God better by paying attention to his work in our lives, our experiences, our imagination, and our feelings. This course will examen and embody St. Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises, using his "workouts" to teach you how to grow spiritually by learning to respond in concrete, practical ways to God's presence in your life. Prayer, reflection, and earnest engagement are expected.
CS LEWIS: APOLOGIST OF THE HEAD AND HEART ELECTIVE-ONE SEMESTER
This course offers students the opportunity to read and study the writings of CS Lewis to address social, political, and cultural trends. Students will utilize the philosophical and theological worldview of CS Lewis and his writings to engage topical issues and individual experience. The course will encourage students to use intellect and reason while appealing to issues of one's heart. CS Lewis experienced times of doubt in his early life and journeyed through various trials throughout his life, ultimately finding his way to Christ. The purpose of this course is to journey together through the works of CS Lewis (animated by our individual experiences) with hopes of finding meaningful encounters with Christ along the way.
WORLD RELIGIONS ELECTIVE-ONE SEMESTER
Throughout history, humanity has been nourished and inspired by a wide array of religious traditions. As Men For Others called to be global citizens, we are meant to better understand and engage with these faiths in order to better understand and engage with the world around us and the diverse people we will encounter. In this class, we will explore the world's major faith traditions and find the wisdom within them that can enliven our own spiritual journeys.
CHRISTIAN DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS ELECTIVE-ONE SEMESTER
Classic Christian Wisdom for Discerning Spirits
A study of the practice of the discernment of spirits as found in the Old and New Testaments, select Church Fathers, the desert tradition, writings of St. Ignatius of Loyola and Saint Teresa of Avila, and C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters in the 20th century. Possible excerpts from film series: Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter. Attention will be given to the distinction between “Discernment of Spirits” and “Discernment of God’s Will” properly so-called, and to questions regarding the existence and theological relevance of angels and demons. The culmination of this elective will be a mock spiritual direction meeting. Students will be asked to create scripted roles using the tactics and skills for the discernment of spirits they have learned in class.
SCIENCE AND RELIGION ELECTIVE-ONE SEMESTER
This senior elective course is designed to highlight the historical events, scientific theories, theological doctrines, and philosophical viewpoints that have defined the relationship between science and the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religions over the last five centuries. Beginning with the condemnation of Galileo in the 16th century, this course invites students to analyze and discuss the past and present conflict, independence, dialogue, and/or complete integration of these two powerful disciplines. The issues examined include creation, the existence of God, evolution, genetic engineering, the soul, artificial intelligence, and extraterrestrial life. A special emphasis will be placed on the development of Catholic Church teachings that regard and even implement science and its place in a moral society.
CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP ELECTIVE-ONE SEMESTER
This class will explore the profile of a disciple of Jesus of Nazareth as portrayed in the show The Chosen. We will compare and contrast the New Testament characters and stories written in the New Testament with the creative exploration of each in the show. We will also explore the theology of chosenness - the long tradition beginning in Hebrew Scripture of being sought and called by a God who is both saving us and calling us to greatness.
THE ROMERO PROGRAM: COMPANIONS IN DISCIPLESHIP AND PRAXIS COMMUNITY FIELDWORK (PERIOD 7 ONLY) BY APPLICATION--FULL YEAR, (FULFILLS 0.5 SENIOR SYNTHESIS & 0.5 RELIGIOUS STUDIES ELECTIVE)
The Romero Program is a senior-level, honors-credit, year-long religion elective which is designed to be a capstone of a student’s entire Brophy experience and of our Jesuit, Catholic values. This class meets 7th period only, but all students are also enrolled in an 8th period Internship course, giving all students who complete the class two full honors credits. The class takes place some days in the classroom and other days in the Phoenix community at social service agencies. On class days, students will be in class learning a curriculum that follows the "Pastoral Circle," a process of social and theological analysis of important issues in Phoenix. On agency days, students will leave campus in pairs to participate in internships around the city which are working to confront the same injustices that students study in class. The focus of this "praxis" education is to put our faith into action, to discover how we can follow Jesus now and in our future vocations.
Some senior Elective Arrupe Virtual Learning Institute Courses for 2023-2024 may be available; see AVLI link above left for more info; extra cost involved.